Life is constantly changing and the tattoo that once seemed like a good idea may no longer be suitable. Or do you want a new tattoo over the old one? There can be many reasons for wanting to remove a tattoo, and research suggests that at least 50% regret one or more tattoos during their lifetime. Whatever the reason, it may be possible to have it removed! We at Stavanger Plastic Surgery have been fortunate enough to have nurse Elin Ovedal from the former Rogaland Laser Clinic join us – she has many years of experience with tattoo removal with laser and what could be more natural than that we have now purchased the very best machine on the market today – pico laser technology finally in Stavanger – read more about this here!
The technology behind tattoo removal
1. Faster pulse : A tattoo is in a way a “colored scar” where a needle has entered the skin and left a dye. This can be different dyes, different colors and not least different depths in the skin. This makes it challenging for a device to effectively remove many tattoos. Traditionally, machines with so-called “nano” technology have been the tools available. As the name suggests, such a machine has laser pulses in nanoseconds (millionths of a second). These are pulses that break down the small pigments so that they disappear. The problem has been that nanosecond pulses have not worked on the smallest pigments. Therefore, even more advanced machines have now emerged that pulse laser light even faster – in picoseconds, which is 1/1000th faster than nano! Picolaser technology therefore works on even smaller pigments and a larger part of the tattoo disappears. It can be compared in a way to a stone down to gravel with nano and then to sand with pico.
2. More powerful power : Another important aspect of laser treatment is the mechanism of action itself. Laser is actually light of a specific wavelength. Different wavelengths of light are absorbed by different colors. When light of a specific wavelength hits the skin and pigment of the “right” color, the light is absorbed by the pigment and converted into a “sound wave” that shakes or explodes the pigment. The greater the energy of this light, the more powerful the sound wave and the more pigment is exploded. This is why we have chosen to invest in the Lumenis PiQo 4 – a machine with superb power of over 10 times that of competing systems for both the 1064nm and 532nm wavelengths (the power is 650mJ & 325mJ respectively for those who are particularly interested :).
3. Larger energy point: Another big advantage for you as a customer is that this machine has up to 4 times the spot size of the laser light itself than any other machine on the market today. Larger spot size not only means faster treatment and thus less discomfort, it also provides a greater dispersion of the energy and thus a lower risk of blistering, discoloration and scarring. 
4. Wide color spectrum : As mentioned earlier, the color of the tattoo absorbs specific wavelengths of light. Therefore, you need different wavelengths to absorb the different colors. The Lumenis PiQo 4 therefore offers 4 different wavelengths to ensure that you can treat as wide a range of colors as possible. These four wavelengths are 1064nm, 532nm, 650nm and 585nm - together, it targets 9 of the most commonly used tattoo colors from light orange to darkest black. With the Lumenis PiQo 4 , you can literally erase the rainbow!
Who can perform a tattoo removal?
Most women and men over 18 can undergo treatment. We do not treat pregnant women, so you may have to wait until after giving birth. There are some medications that can make the skin sensitive to light, so always inform the therapist about your medications in advance.
